The Exonerated at New Rock Theater

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...the most compelling vignette belongs to Sunny Jacobs (played by understudy Kelly Pfeifer at the performance I saw), who--after 17 years of imprisonment and the execution of her husband Jesse Tafero for murders they didn’t commit--lives her life as a "memorial." With minimalist staging and a sympathetic cast, Sonia Alexandria's production for La Costa Theatre Company challenges the inviolability of the criminal justice system."

ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended

"...I question the theatricality of this show. Is it a play or a polemic? I resent being preached at and this show sure does that. The performers were effective, exuding all the rage that being accused and convicted of murder contains. This is worthy material for a documentary but it wears thin on stage despite terrific performances by the ensemble."

Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended

"...The vibe created by La Costa Theatre’s The Exonerated feels downright 60s-radical–whether it be in the relaying of 6 true cases of wrongly accused men and women from the late 60s and early 70s, or the soft, plaintive guitar performance in the darkened theater space before the show begins. The language used by the wrongly accused/proven innocent reflects the Boomer generation and their perspective on violent, endemic racism and homophobia. Their voices, as performed by cast, ring authentically but that same period element distances the storytelling from the audience."